Health

Advisory

NATIONAL INFLUENZA VACCINATION WEEK (NIVW)

NOVEMBER 27TH – DECEMBER 3RD, 2006

The Division of Public Health is forwarding this Health Advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To contact DPH

about this Health Advisory, call 1-888-295-5156. This number is answered during normal business hours, and during non-business hours for

emergencies.

This is an official

CDC Health Advisory

Distributed via Health Alert Network

November 15, 2006, 16:20 EST (4:20 PM EST)

CDCHAN-00252-06-11-15-ADV-N

National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) November 27th – December 3rd, 2006

Every year in the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population becomes infected with influenza virus. More than 200,000 people

are hospitalized from influenza complications and about 36,000 people die from influenza. Vaccination is the best way to prevent

influenza and its severe complications. Anyone who wants to reduce their risk for getting influenza should be vaccinated during each

influenza season. Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for the following groups:

• Persons at high risk for influenza-related complications and severe disease, including:
  • children aged 6–59 months
  • pregnant women
  • persons aged > 50 years and
  • persons of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
• Persons who live with or care for persons at high risk, including:
  • household members in frequent contact with persons at high risk and who can transmit influenza to those persons at high risk, and
  • health-care workers

Although vaccination programs focus on providing vaccination before or early in the influenza season, influenza vaccination should

continue throughout the fall and winter months since influenza activity can circulate anytime from November through April. In addition,

many people recommended to receive influenza vaccination have not been vaccinated by November.

To help raise awareness about the importance of influenza vaccination in November and beyond, the United States Department of Health and

Human Services (HHS), including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Influenza Vaccine Summit and other

partners announce a National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) to take place from Monday, November 27 through Sunday, December 3, 2006.

CDC encourages state and local health departments, public health partners, and providers to plan influenza vaccination clinics and

activities to promote influenza vaccination. Free materials are available for easy printing at the “flu gallery”

(www.cdc.gov/flu/gallery), including posters and

educational flyers.

NOTE:  The CDC HAN web site has been relocated. The link to the new site location is: http://www2a.cdc.gov/HAN/. If you maintain or contribute to a web site

that links to the CDC HAN web site you should update the link. Also, to ensure the widest dissemination of this change, it would be

appreciated if you would distribute this notification as appropriate. Thank you!